Hot journal brake valve



May 8 1951 H. E. HUNTLEY 2,551,602

HOT JOURNAL BRAKE vALvE Filed Sept. 26, 1947 INVEN TOR.

E71'. 7T [-77 Haze/7 E. Hanf/ey Patented May 8, 1951 UNIED STATES GFFICE 1 Claim.

My invention relates to safety means for railroad trains, and the like, wherein the journals for the axles of the wheels are encased in journal boxes filled with a lubricating material.

As is well known, upon :failure or exhaustion of the lubricating material in the journal boxes, the journal heats up from friction, causes what is known as a hot box, and if not corrected promptly, will destroy the bearings and may even wreck the train by the twisting off of the axles.

With the foregoing in View, an object of my invention is to provide improved means for detecting hot boxes and signalling at least the train engineer of the presence thereof before dangerous temperatures are reached.

A further object is to provide means for positively preventing any disregard of the signal aforesaid by setting the air brakes of the train and requiring positive action on the part of the train crew before the brakes can be released.

A further object is to provide safety means of the class described which comprises a direct ccnnection with the air brake line of the train, to each journal box, a blow-off valve unseatable by pressure in the air brake line, and a fusible member normally maintaining said valve in sealing engagement with said connection, at least said fusible member being positioned in said journal box in proximity to said journal.

Other objects and advantages reside in the particular structure f my invention, combination and arrangement of the several parts thereof, and in the particular mode of operation, all of which will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon reference to the drawings in connection with the specification, wherein the invention is shown, described and claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional View of a preferred form of the invention applied to a journal box, the journal box being shown in fragmentary vertical section;

Figure 2 is an end elevation of the invention taken from the right-hand end of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a side elevation on a reduced scale showing the invention applied to the truck of a railroad car.

Referring specifically to the drawings, wherein like reference characters have been used throughout to designate like parts, lo designates a journal box of a railroad car i2 having a truck Il. The main air brake line of the car and the train is indicated by the character I3, and an extension 20 thereof opens into the journal box Iii, and

said extension may be provided with any suitable cut-off valve 20.

The free end 2| of the extension 2B terminates within the journal box l, as clearly shown in Figure l, and may be provided with a collar 22 which is rigidly secured thereto in any suitable manner. The free end 23 of the collar 22 extends axially beyond the free end 2l of the extension 20 to provide a seat for the blow-on valve 2li which may be of any suitable form, but as shown comprises a disc of relatively infusible material. A clamping member 25, which comprises a yoke having legs and a bight, is detachably engaged with the collar 22 by virtue of the inwardlyturned ends 26 of the legs which engage over the outer edge of collar 22. Any suitable screw means Z8 is threadedly passed through the bight 21 and the free inner end thereof engages a block 29 and clamps the same against the valve disc 24 to maintain the same in sealing engagement with the free end 2l of the brake line extension 20.

The block 29 is formed of any suitable alloy or other material,` which is fusible at a relatively low temperature. The composition of the block 29 forms no part of my invention, but it is essential that the same be fusible at temperatures substantially lower than that of the material forming the journal of the vehicle axle.

In operation, assuming the lubricating material I4 of the journal box becomes exhausted or ceases to function, heat will be generated in the journal, not shown, and at the selected temperature, the block 29 will melt, whereby the normal pressure in the brake line and the extension 20 thereof will blow off the valve 2d, whereby to lower the pressure in the brake line and to set the brakes of the vehicle.

It is to be understood that this lowering of the brake line pressure operates to set the brakes on all cars of the train so that the train is forced to stop. The hot journal is then readily located by the train crew by the hissing of escaping air at the particular brake line extension 20 which is involved. The brakes may be reset by either closing the particular cut-olf valve 2D', or by replacing the blow-off disc and inserting a new fusible block 29 when the journal has cooled and has been repacked with fresh lubricating material. Thus, the train crew is forced to take positive action to correct the trouble before damaging temperatures are reached in the journal.

While I have shown and described what is now thought to be the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that the same is susceptible of other forms and expressions. Consequently, I do not limit myself to the precise structure shown and described, except as hereinafter claimed.

I claim:

A holding means for supporting a Valve Closing an end of an air brake line, comprising a collar rigidly secured to said air brake line a'nd slidably supporting said valve, a U-shaped clamp positioned in embracing relation with respect to said collar, the ends of the legs of said clamp being turned inwardly and engaging the peripheral edge of said collar, screw means extending through the bight of said clamp and rotatably supported in the latter, and a block of fusible material having an end bearing against said valve and having 15 the other end engaged by the adjacent end of said screw means.

HAZEN E. HU NTLEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 278,654 Buell May 29, 1883 1,544,390 Harris June 30, 1925 2,424,203 Wrightman et a1. July 15, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 314,397 Great Britain May 29. 1930 

